Laughter and Longevity

I was watching a show on Comedy Central the other night as one of the standup comedians launched into a bit about a topic that most of us do not typically find terribly funny – death. He began by suggesting that burying people in the ground may be quite misguided. After all, most of us would like to believe that our dearly departed are heading off to receive their just rewards “up there.” So why start them off by burying them beneath the ground? Seen in this light, he felt that placing their last remains underground was counterproductive and suggested putting the freshly deceased in catapults and propelling them towards the heavens instead. I laughed pretty hard when I first heard this and I’m chuckling again now. This is very good for my health and I plan to tell this joke several times since I am of the opinion that doing so will help me live longer.

This is consistent with other decisions I have made in the past as a longevity doctor. In my own life, I try to set a good example to my patients and show that I am willing to go the extra distance. For instance, a few years ago I began drinking alcohol more frequently after I learned that consuming one or two glasses of red wine a day is associated with increased longevity.

According to some recent studies, the folks at Reader’s Digest hit the nail on the head when they say that “Laughter is the best medicine.” Scientific proof of this has come from the medical school at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. Dr. Sven Svenbak tracked 54,000 Norwegians for seven years and discovered that those individuals who found life the funniest lived longer than their less mirthful countrymen. People who found the world to be the most humorous were 35 percent more likely to still be alive at the end of the seven years of the study and cancer patients were many times more likely to survive if they managed to maintain their sense of humor despite their cancer diagnosis.

Norman Cousins calls laughter “a form of internal jogging” and recent studies from Greece have shown that the act of hearty laughter, just like physical exercise, decreases arterial stiffness. Japanese researchers have demonstrated better blood sugar control in diabetics who laugh regularly, while research from Western Kentucky University has shown that laughter can improve the cancer killing ability of NK (natural killer) cells. Other studies have shown that laughter can decrease stress, increase pain tolerance, reduce depression and improve quality of life.

“I have horrible news and terrible news for you,” said the doctor. “Give it to me straight, doc. What’s the horrible news?” asked the patient. “You have terminal cancer. I figure 6 months at the most.” “And the terrible news?” he asked. “You also have Alzheimer’s.” “Well, it could be worse,” said the man. “At least I don’t have cancer!”